I chose to talk about Chapter 6 in Diane Ravitch’s book “Reign of Error”. I chose this chapter to talk about because I can honestly say that I agree with Ravitch 100% in what she is saying here. This chapter is all about the achievement gap in education and how it can be solved. According to the data in this book, the achievement gap is getting bigger year after year. The reformers argue that the way to fix this is to create more private schools, but Ravitch completely disagrees. She believes that the only way to fix this is to identify the problem. The real problem is the language barrier between these young kids. This is caused largely by the parents who do not teach their children English before going to a school that teaches in English, and also caused by the low income of many families. Ravitch also pointed out that there was a rise in NEAP scores. It is important to also recognize that improvement is happening! It is just hard to see this improvement because ethnic diversity is increasing at the same rate that the achievement gap is closing. Unlike the reformers, Ravitch also argues that standardized testing does not help. This is something that I agree fully with and really think that it should not be something that so much money is wasted on. A couple of decades back, the achievement gap was smaller due to the civil rights movement and Ravitch argues that change is still happening, it is just a slow process. It is hard to see the gap now-a-days because the gap stays the same since all ethnicities are improving.
The achievement gap is real. Although it should be getting smaller and be close to gone by now, that is not the case. Ravitch suggests that this process is slow and the only way to improve it is to start from the source of the problem. Ravitch believes that this achievement gap starts before children are even enrolled in school and only broadens as they grow older. She believes that it has already made significant progress but that we are focusing our time and resources on the wrong areas. She said that “test scores and graduation rates are higher than ever”, but disagrees with the reformers and says that this is a societal problem and that we won’t accomplish anything until we realize that it is about poverty and racial segregation, NOT education. She believes that making the schools private will only further segregation and do no help to demoting it. Ravitch does, however, believe that this gap is a serious problem. According to NEAP scores, 49% African American 8th graders scored below basic in math and 41% African American 8th graders scored below basic in reading. Although these scores are higher than ever, they are still unacceptable. African Americans have shown that they can do much better than “basic” and need to be given the opportunity to try. It is important to know where to fund and where not to. Ravitch believes that schools were the cause of the achievement gaps and therefore cannot be the solution.
Reading notes from the chapter:
Ravitch says that improvement is happening, just slowly
Ethnic diversity increases as gap closes
STANDARDIZED TESTING DOES NOT HELP
70’s and 80’s small achievement gap because of civil rights movement
Need to help children in underperforming schools
“test scores and graduation rates are higher than ever”
It is a societal problem, not education
Private schools won’t help in the long run and will only further segregation
Important to know where to fund and where not to
NAEP scores:
o49% African American 8th graders scored below basic in math
o41% African American 8th graders scored below basic in reading
“Achievement gap begins long before children start kindergarten”
Schools didn’t start the gaps and they can’t be expected to stop them alone
Relate to Rhode Island: Achievement gaps are prevalent in each and every one of the states in our nation, and each state’s success is important, Rhode Island is no exception to this. This chapter helped to point out the cause of the achievement gap and also helps to guide the path to fixing it. This chapter also helps to pinpoint things that should NOT be done. This is not a problem that can be fixed in one day, not even one year, but it is important that we make this gap smaller. Ravitch believes that the key to success for this task is to start educating children young. If we break the language barrier at a young age, the students will strive more and more as they get older. Rhode Island schools are definitely subject to an achievement gap, and therefore this problem can be helped by developing a new strategic plan for the Rhode Island Department of Education. But, as stated above, this problem is not always because of education, sometimes it is societal. Income is also another factor in this problem and can only be fixed by the government making equal education for all. Overall, racial segregation and achievement gaps are very real, even in Rhode Island. Although we don’t know yet exactly how to fix this, we need to try.
Ravitch Chapter Response
Chapter 6
I chose to talk about Chapter 6 in Diane Ravitch’s book “Reign of Error”. I chose this chapter to talk about because I can honestly say that I agree with Ravitch 100% in what she is saying here. This chapter is all about the achievement gap in education and how it can be solved. According to the data in this book, the achievement gap is getting bigger year after year. The reformers argue that the way to fix this is to create more private schools, but Ravitch completely disagrees. She believes that the only way to fix this is to identify the problem. The real problem is the language barrier between these young kids. This is caused largely by the parents who do not teach their children English before going to a school that teaches in English, and also caused by the low income of many families. Ravitch also pointed out that there was a rise in NEAP scores. It is important to also recognize that improvement is happening! It is just hard to see this improvement because ethnic diversity is increasing at the same rate that the achievement gap is closing. Unlike the reformers, Ravitch also argues that standardized testing does not help. This is something that I agree fully with and really think that it should not be something that so much money is wasted on. A couple of decades back, the achievement gap was smaller due to the civil rights movement and Ravitch argues that change is still happening, it is just a slow process. It is hard to see the gap now-a-days because the gap stays the same since all ethnicities are improving.
The achievement gap is real. Although it should be getting smaller and be close to gone by now, that is not the case. Ravitch suggests that this process is slow and the only way to improve it is to start from the source of the problem. Ravitch believes that this achievement gap starts before children are even enrolled in school and only broadens as they grow older. She believes that it has already made significant progress but that we are focusing our time and resources on the wrong areas. She said that “test scores and graduation rates are higher than ever”, but disagrees with the reformers and says that this is a societal problem and that we won’t accomplish anything until we realize that it is about poverty and racial segregation, NOT education. She believes that making the schools private will only further segregation and do no help to demoting it. Ravitch does, however, believe that this gap is a serious problem. According to NEAP scores, 49% African American 8th graders scored below basic in math and 41% African American 8th graders scored below basic in reading. Although these scores are higher than ever, they are still unacceptable. African Americans have shown that they can do much better than “basic” and need to be given the opportunity to try. It is important to know where to fund and where not to. Ravitch believes that schools were the cause of the achievement gaps and therefore cannot be the solution.
Reading notes from the chapter:
Relate to Rhode Island:
Achievement gaps are prevalent in each and every one of the states in our nation, and each state’s success is important, Rhode Island is no exception to this. This chapter helped to point out the cause of the achievement gap and also helps to guide the path to fixing it. This chapter also helps to pinpoint things that should NOT be done. This is not a problem that can be fixed in one day, not even one year, but it is important that we make this gap smaller. Ravitch believes that the key to success for this task is to start educating children young. If we break the language barrier at a young age, the students will strive more and more as they get older. Rhode Island schools are definitely subject to an achievement gap, and therefore this problem can be helped by developing a new strategic plan for the Rhode Island Department of Education. But, as stated above, this problem is not always because of education, sometimes it is societal. Income is also another factor in this problem and can only be fixed by the government making equal education for all. Overall, racial segregation and achievement gaps are very real, even in Rhode Island. Although we don’t know yet exactly how to fix this, we need to try.